Free and Affordable Places to Take Your Kids When on a Budget
You want to spend more time with your kids and you want to take them on adventures. But let’s face it: it gets super expensive! Luckily, Chicago and the suburbs have so many affordable hidden gems that you can take your kids to for less than $10 per person or for FREE.
Museums: Science, History, Art and more.
Children’s Museums
Indoor Play Places
Zoos & Farms
Botanical Gardens, Arboretums and Nature Centers
Libraries
Play Areas in Malls
And so much more!
Museums
Photo of Bess Bower Dunn Museum, owned by Kristel at On the Go with 4 Kids in Tow
Science & Space Museums
18022 Dixie Highway
Homewood IL 60430
FREE admission + camps & events for a fee
Drop in visits open every Saturday for STEM Saturdays, where your family can explore STEM activities through hands-on exhibits, creative play and special presentations. Use your engineering skills in the STEAM Studio, take some time to play in the Imagination Playground and check out the newest exhibit: the Ball Wall.
Mindworks: The Science of Thinking
224 S Michigan Ave, Ste 102
Chicago IL 60604
FREE admission
Mindworks is a working behavioral science lab and interactive discovery center. Visitors are welcome to explore the exhibits and are encouraged to participate in experiments and earn prizes for supporting research. The interactive exhibits explore questions such as: What do first impressions tell us about others and ourselves? How can you better understand and learn from things you failed to do?
Triton College
2000 Fifth Ave
River Grove IL 60171
$3-$10 admission
Multi-sensory shows, ranging from the evolution of the planet & stars to cosmic light shows featuring popular music such as Pink Floyd, David Bowie and Lady GaGa. Exhibits include fossils found around Illinois, a scale model of the Space Shuttle Challenger and a spacesuit worn by astronaut Gene Cernan on the Apollo 10 mission.
Joliet Junior College
1215 Houbolt Rd
Joliet IL 60431
FREE admission
A 30’ diameter dome and an OmniStar Digital Projection system, with show productions such as an interactive constellation & planet sky and other astronomical themes.
History & Living Museums
1899 W Winchester Rd
Libertyville IL 60048
$3-$10 admission
Exploring the history of people, events & nature, through exhibitions, education & community engagement. Exhibitions at the museum include a fossil rock estimated to be 420 million years old, a full-scale reproduction of an authentic wigwam and a reproduction of a one-room schoolhouse in Lake County.
5211 N Clark St
Chicago IL 60640
$4-$6 admission
A 24,000 sq ft cultural museum, featuring two gallery spaces with special art exhibits: “The Dream of America” exhibit, the Brunk Children’s Museum of Immigration, a genealogy center and the Museum Store.
Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
3001 Central St
Evanston IL 60201
$6-$8 admission
Exhibits include showing how American Indian communities adapted to a post-colonial world, while still maintaining their way of life, and a brightly colored mural, conceived by youth and designed to share Indigenous knowledge with representations of nature and animals in the Woodland art style. The Family Zone features hands-on exhibits and take-home craft activities for all ages to experience traditional and modern aspects of American Indian cultures.
Pritzker Military Museum & Library
104 S Michigan Ave
Chicago IL 60603
$10 admission, 12 and under are FREE
Increasing the public’s understanding of military history, military affairs and national security by providing a forum for the study and exploration of our military, through thousands of artifacts, books, posters, photographs, maps and manuscripts.
Trailside Museum of Natural History
738 Thatcher Ave
River Forest IL 60305
FREE admission
Set within a historic 1876 mansion, the museum is the first public nature education facility for the Forest Preserves. The “trail side” museum displays live native animals, colorful wildflower gardens, information about local wildlife and their habitats and more.
120 E Park Ave
Elmhurst IL 60126
FREE admission
Engaging the community with history through exhibits, collections and educational experiences. Significant records, artifacts, documents, photographs, publications and other materials related to Elmhurst history are acquired and cared for at the museum.
DuPage County Historical Museum
102 E Wesley St
Wheaton IL 60187
FREE admission
The only institution dedicated to the collection, preservation and interpretation of the material culture documenting DuPage County.
523 S Webster St
Naperville IL 60540
$4-$6 admission
A 13 acre outdoor history museum, consisting of 30 historical buildings and structures that serve to document, preserve and interpret the the community life of Naperville IL. Themes include, but not limited to the social, political and business history of the town.
3800 York Rd
Oak Brook IL 60523
$2-$5 admission
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the only gristmill recognized as an Illinois Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark. Offering programs on milling, spinning and weaving to illustrate life between 1850 & 1860, and the effect mills had on the area’s culture.
The Arts
4041 N Milwaukee Ave, 2nd floor
Chicago IL 60641
FREE admission
Inspire connection and dialogue of the impact of war through the collection, preservation and exhibition of art by military veterans. Artwork includes paintings, photography, sculpture, poetry, murals and music.
National Museum of Mexican Art
1852 W 19th St
Chicago IL 60608
FREE admission
Representing the Mexican community and stimulating knowledge and appreciation of Mexican culture, through visual & performing arts programs and education programs and resources.
Museum of Contemporary Photography
Columbia College Chicago
600 S Michigan Ave
Chicago IL 60605
FREE admission
A college art museum dedicated to photography. Past exhibits included photography themes capturing Native Americans, Chicago stories, landscape & leisure and Chicago youth.
Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art
1220 Kensington Rd
Oak Brook IL 60523
$5-$10 admission
A museum dedicated to the lapidary arts with displays of gemstones, jewelry and bejeweled objects. There are additional exhibits focused on earth science where you can learn how a tree turns to stone, how hard jade is, what minerals make up granite and see fossils through geologic time.
Children’s Museums
9301 S Stony Island Ave
Chicago IL 60617
$5 admission
A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization & the first & only African American Children’s Museum in the U.S. Exhibits include the You Are What You Eat tour, STEM activities, Provident Hospital and the Jewel Store.
Children’s Neighborhood Museum
Round Lake Area Park District
814 Hart Road
Round Lake IL 60073
$3-$7 admission
A tot-sized replica of a town built especially for kids, where they can drive a car to the market, gas up at the local gas station, be a doctor, lead a classroom and explore in the STEAM area. Children can experience various roles in a community, allowing them to challenge themselves to explore.
11 S White St
Frankfort IL 60423
$10 admission
A cultural institution that brings children, families and the community together to engage in fun, hands-on interactive play, including a fire station, space station, dino dig and fishing boat.
Transport Museums
44 W 546 US 30
Sugar Grove IL 60554
$5-$10 admission
Chicagoland’s largest aviation museum. The collection of exhibits at the volunteer-run aviation museum includes aircrafts, vehicles, uniforms and other aviation memorabilia from the 1930s to the present time. Guided tours are available of the aircraft located on-site and visitors are encouraged to sit in an A-7 flown in the Gulf War and climb into the pilot's seat of an UH-1 Huey helicopter.
1200 W 35th St
Chicago IL 60609
$5-$10 admission
Dedicated to the study and memorialization of Chicago's maritime traditions. The museum provides a chronological walk through local maritime history, including the eras of French fur traders, sail and steam-powered vessels, modern commercial Great Lakes frigates, recreational sailing and the Ralph and Rita Frese Canoe Collection.
Fox River Trolley Museum
365 S La Fox St
South Elgin IL 60177
$5-$8 admission
A 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, the trolley museum maintains a collection of 30 antique electric trolleys, railroad cars and locomotives, ranging in construction dates from 1887 to 1959.
National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum
10406 S Maryland Ave
Chicago IL 60628
$7-$10 admission
A 501(c) 3 cultural institution, promoting honor and celebrating the legacy of A. Philip Randolph, Pullman Porters, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and contributions made by African-Americans to America’s labor movement, with a significant focus on the African American Railroad Employee.
Novelty Museums
Water Tower Place, Level 7
835 N Michigan Ave
Chicago IL 60611
$6-$10 admission
The 23,000 sq ft space celebrates Chicago's major sports teams and combines high-tech interactive experiences with unique sports memorabilia and an impressive collection of game-used treasures and other artifacts.
Fire Museum of Greater Chicago
5218 S Western Ave
Chicago IL 60609
FREE admission
Home to a vast and growing collection of fire apparatus, tools, communications equipment, photos, documents, helmets & uniforms, and other artifacts with historical significance.
53 N Broadway
Aurora IL 60505
$5 admission
A place of public history, learning and community gathering for all ages and occasions. The museum provides walk-in tours, scheduled group tours and educational programs including field trips and scout programs.
3407 W Armitage Ave
Chicago IL 60647
FREE admission
Showing how people commemorated noteworthy times in their lives by creating and collecting buttons. The words, artwork, printing style, color and size on the buttons are the way of communication to people’s histories.
210 Robert Parker Coffin Rd
Long Grove IL 60047
$4-$6 admission
A collection of sock monkeys that came together from estate sales, garage sales, antique stores, previously amassed collections, heartwarming gifts, generous donations and the internet.
Indoor Play Places
Photo of Northbrook Play via facebook.com
600 E 61st St
Chicago IL 60637
FREE admission
Northbrook Court
2210 Northbrook Ct
Northbrook IL 60062
FREE admission
Stevenson Park Center
49 Lake Street
Oak Park IL 60302
$8 admission, adults are FREE
ARC Center
201 W National St
West Chicago IL 60185
$10 admission
2 locations:
300 Corporate Woods Pkwy, Vernon Hills IL 60061
127 Ambassador Dr, Ste 127, Naperville IL 60540
$10 admission
233 W 63rd St
Westmont IL 60559
$8 admission
1607 Legacy Circle
Naperville IL 60563
$10 admission
Fort Hill Activity Center
20 Fort Hill Dr
Naperville IL 60540
$5 admission for residents, $7.50 for non-residents
Hodgkins Park District
8997 Lyons St
Hodgkins IL 60525
FREE admission for residents, $3 for non-residents
Jungle Safari Indoor Playground
Romeoville Parks & Recreation
Romeoville IL 60446
$2 admission for residents, $3 for non-residents
11009 S Kedzie Ave
Chicago IL 60655
$10 per child
Zoos & Farms
Photo of Randall Oaks Zoo, owned by Kristel at On the Go with 4 Kids in Tow
Fullerton Pkwy & Cannon Dr
Chicago IL 60614
FREE admission
1510 Wagner Rd
Glenview IL 60025
FREE admission
14245 W Rockland Rd
Libertyville IL 60048
$5 admission
1356 N Gary Ave
Wheaton IL 60187
$10 admission for non-resident adults
FREE admission for all children under 18 and all residents
1N600 County Farm Rd
West Chicago IL 60185
Suggested donation of $5
Randall Oaks Zoo
1180 N Randall Rd
West Dundee IL 60118
$5.50 admission
207 Grand Blvd
Elgin IL 60120
FREE admission
1000 Ray Moses Dr
Aurora IL 60505
FREE admission
Botanical Gardens & Arboretums
Photo by Sandeep Pawar via flickr.com
2391 N Stockton Dr
Chicago IL 60614
FREE admission
300 N Central Park Ave
Chicago IL 60624
FREE admission
615 Garfield St
Oak Park IL 60304
FREE admission
225 S Prospect Ave
Elmhurst IL 60126
FREE admission
For a list of FREE Nature Centers, follow the link below!
Nature Centers
Libraries
Photo of La Grange Public Library via mykidlist.com
These are just a few of our favorite kid-friendly [FREE] libraries:
Thomas Hughes Children's Library
Harold Washington Library
400 S State St 2nd Floor
Chicago IL 60605
Indian Trails Public Library District
355 Schoenbeck Rd
Wheeling IL 60090
10 W Cossitt Ave
La Grange IL 60525
14921 S Ravinia Ave
Orland Park IL 60462
1050 Curtiss St
Downers Grove IL 60515
801 N Main St
Wauconda IL 60084
Gail Borden Public Library District
270 N Grove Ave
Elgin IL 60120
14320 W 151st St
Homer Glen IL 60491
For a full list of libraries with play areas and events & programs geared towards kids, follow the link below!
Best Kid-Friendly Libraries
Malls with Play areas
Photo of Yorktown Center Children’s PLAY Area via businesswire.com
6170 W Grand Ave
Gurnee IL 60031
122 Hawthorn Ctr
Vernon Hills IL 60061
Northbrook Court Tree House
2210 Northbrook Ct
Northbrook IL 60062
Woodfield Mall Children’s Play Park
5 Woodfield Mall
Schaumburg IL 60173
5 Woodfield Mall, Level 1 Unit, N120A
Schaumburg IL 60173
1072 Spring Hill Mall
West Dundee IL 60118
Yorktown Center Children’s PLAY Area
203 Yorktown Center
Lombard IL 60148
Fox Valley Mall Center Park
195 Fox Valley Center
Aurora IL 60504
288 Orland Square Dr
Orland Park IL 60462
4905 Old Orchard Center
Skokie IL 60077
For more info on each of these malls, follow the link below!
Malls with Play Areas
City Attractions
Photo by Songquan Deng via vecteezy.com
600 E Grand Ave
Chicago IL 60611
FREE to enter
The attractions and shops at the pier will probably put a hefty dent in your wallet, but entering Navy Pier is free. It is still very much enjoyable to walk both inside and outside, taking in all the sights, watching the boats on the lake and all the breathtaking views.
201 E Randolph St
Chicago IL 60602
FREE attraction
There is so much to see and do at Millennium Park. You can easily spend over an hour walking through the gardens, listening to music at the amphitheater, dipping your toes in the fountain and looking for yourself in the famous Bean— and all for free!
337 E Randolph St
Chicago IL 60601
FREE attraction
After spending some time at Millennium Park, be sure to walk the bridge over Columbus Ave and make your way to Maggie Daley Park, where you can walk the garden, have fun at the many playgrounds and play structures, have a picnic, do the climbing wall, play mini golf and so much more.
Other Free Activities
If it’s nice out, take advantage of the weather and check out these parks and playgrounds. Or can go on an adventure and explore some hiking trails. But if you want something more relaxing, beaches are where it’s at! Also in the summer, there are great farmer’s markets worth going to.
Stay tuned over the next few months for blog posts specifically on these additional FREE activities!
Who’s ready for all the fall festivities?? Pumpkin patches, halloween events, fall festivals and fun on the farm, surrounds the city and suburbs. From no frills to high frills, to your favorite instagrammable photo ops and special spooky events, I've got a great list for you!